Expedición Libertadora del Perú
Encyclopedia
The Expedición Libertadora del Perú (Freedom Expedition of Peru) was organized in 1820 by the government of Chile
, with elements belonging to the Liberating Army of the Andes
and to recently restored Army of Chile, which target was to liberate the Viceroyalty of Perú
of the mastery of the Spanish Crown. The expedition was the continuation of the plan of liberation that General Bernardo O'Higgins
and General José de San Martín
conceived for the Spanish colonies of the south of America. His principal drive and the organizing one was the Liberator Captain general Bernardo O'Higgins, as a whole with his government. The control of the Chilean Squadron was given to Thomas Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald
and the control of the ground force relapsed into the Argentine Liberator General José de San Martín. The expedition managed to liberate Peru of a partial way.
, putting term to the period named Patria Vieja
(Old Homeland), in which the Chilean patriots had governed the destinations of the colony and conceived notable reforms to the colonial Spanish diet. Later to above mentioned event, the Chilean troops, along with the personeros of the government, fled to Mendoza, where they were got by the Governor of the Province of Whose General José de San Martín, the one who conceived in that moment a plan of liberation of the South American colonies of the Spanish Empire. This plan would consist of invading Chile with an army shaped by the remains of the Army of Chile, defeated in Rancagua, and Argentine troops. After the invasion and liberation of Chile, for the allied army, this one would embark for sea course to Peru to extinguish the Spanish presence in that region, since he supposed a big threat for the independence of other Latin Americans countries.
The emancipation of Perú was to have been a common enterprise by Chile and Argentina. Argentina, then a lose alliance of provinces, distracted by internal strife and another threat of invasion from Spain was unable to contribute for the expedition and ordered José de San Martín
back to Argentina. San Martín choose to disobey (see Acta de Rancagua) and O'Higgins decided that Chile would assume the costs of the Freedom Expedition of Perú.
Every expeditionary ship got a painted number so that it could be identified at a distance. There are discrepancies between authors about the names and number and some names of the transports.
On 8. September 1820 the liberating army disembarked 100 miles southeast of Lima
: 4118 soldiers, 4000 of the were Chileans.
On the night of 5. November Cochrane, personally, and 240 volunteers wearing white with blue armbands captured the Spanish frigate Esmeralda (1791)
within the port of Callao. She was renamed Valdivia and commissioned to the Chilean Navy.
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, with elements belonging to the Liberating Army of the Andes
Army of the Andes
The Army of the Andes was a military force created by the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata and mustered by general José de San Martín in his campaign to free Chile from the Spanish Empire...
and to recently restored Army of Chile, which target was to liberate the Viceroyalty of Perú
Viceroyalty of Peru
Created in 1542, the Viceroyalty of Peru was a Spanish colonial administrative district that originally contained most of Spanish-ruled South America, governed from the capital of Lima...
of the mastery of the Spanish Crown. The expedition was the continuation of the plan of liberation that General Bernardo O'Higgins
Bernardo O'Higgins
Bernardo O'Higgins Riquelme was a Chilean independence leader who, together with José de San Martín, freed Chile from Spanish rule in the Chilean War of Independence. Although he was the second Supreme Director of Chile , he is considered one of Chile's founding fathers, as he was the first holder...
and General José de San Martín
José de San Martín
José Francisco de San Martín, known simply as Don José de San Martín , was an Argentine general and the prime leader of the southern part of South America's successful struggle for independence from Spain.Born in Yapeyú, Corrientes , he left his mother country at the...
conceived for the Spanish colonies of the south of America. His principal drive and the organizing one was the Liberator Captain general Bernardo O'Higgins, as a whole with his government. The control of the Chilean Squadron was given to Thomas Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald
Thomas Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald
Admiral Thomas Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald, 1st Marquess of Maranhão, GCB, ODM , styled Lord Cochrane between 1778 and 1831, was a senior British naval flag officer and radical politician....
and the control of the ground force relapsed into the Argentine Liberator General José de San Martín. The expedition managed to liberate Peru of a partial way.
Precedents
In 1814 the General Captaincy of Chile was reconquered by the Spanish Crown, in the Disaster of RancaguaDisaster of Rancagua
The Battle of Rancagua, also known as the Disaster of Rancagua occurred in October 1814 when the Spanish under Mariano Osorio defeated rebel Chilean forces....
, putting term to the period named Patria Vieja
Patria Vieja
Patria Vieja refers to a time period in the History of Chile occurring between the First Junta of the Government and the Disaster of Rancagua . This period was characterized by the transformation from a movement of temporary autonomy to one of total independence...
(Old Homeland), in which the Chilean patriots had governed the destinations of the colony and conceived notable reforms to the colonial Spanish diet. Later to above mentioned event, the Chilean troops, along with the personeros of the government, fled to Mendoza, where they were got by the Governor of the Province of Whose General José de San Martín, the one who conceived in that moment a plan of liberation of the South American colonies of the Spanish Empire. This plan would consist of invading Chile with an army shaped by the remains of the Army of Chile, defeated in Rancagua, and Argentine troops. After the invasion and liberation of Chile, for the allied army, this one would embark for sea course to Peru to extinguish the Spanish presence in that region, since he supposed a big threat for the independence of other Latin Americans countries.
The emancipation of Perú was to have been a common enterprise by Chile and Argentina. Argentina, then a lose alliance of provinces, distracted by internal strife and another threat of invasion from Spain was unable to contribute for the expedition and ordered José de San Martín
José de San Martín
José Francisco de San Martín, known simply as Don José de San Martín , was an Argentine general and the prime leader of the southern part of South America's successful struggle for independence from Spain.Born in Yapeyú, Corrientes , he left his mother country at the...
back to Argentina. San Martín choose to disobey (see Acta de Rancagua) and O'Higgins decided that Chile would assume the costs of the Freedom Expedition of Perú.
The Squadron
On 20 August 1820 the expedition sailed from Valparaíso for Paracas, near Pisco in Perú. The escort was provided by the squadron and comprised the flagship O'Higgins (under Captain Thomas Sackville Crosbie), frigate San Martín (Captain William Wilkinson), frigate Lautaro (Captain Martin Guise), the corvette Independencia (Captain Robert Forster), the brigs Galvarino (Captain John Tooker Spry), Araucano (Captain Thomas Carter), and Pueyrredón (Lieutenant William Prunier) and the schooner Moctezuma (Lieutenant George Young).Every expeditionary ship got a painted number so that it could be identified at a distance. There are discrepancies between authors about the names and number and some names of the transports.
| Ship name | Shipnumber | tons | Other names | troops | personnel or cargo |
| PotrilloProperty of Thomas Cochrane, hired out to Chile, Brian Vale, Cochrane in the Pacific, page 144 | 20 | 180 | 0 | 1400 boxes munition for infantry and artillery, 190 boxes munition for flamethrowerfor and 8 barrels powder | |
| Consecuencia | 11 | 550 | Argentina | 561 | |
| Gaditana | 10 | 250 | 236 | 6 guns | |
| Emprendedora | 12 | 325 | Empresa | 319 | 1280 boxes musket balls, 1500 boxes supplies of tools and repair shop |
| Golondrina | 19 | 120 | 0 | 100 boxes munition, 190 boxes clothes, 460 sack kekse, 670 bunches jerked beef | |
| Peruana | 18 | 250 | 53 | hospital, physicians and 200 boxes | |
| Jerezana | 15 | 350 | 461 | ||
| Minerva | 8 | 325 | 630 | ||
| Águila | 14 | 800 | not Brigantine Pueyrredón |
752 | 7 guns |
| Dolores | 9 | 400 | 395 | ||
| Mackenna | ? | 500 | 0 | 960 boxes with weapons, armors and leather goods for infantry and cavalry. 180 quintal Quintal Quintal may refer to:* Quintal , a unit of mass* Quartal and quintal harmony in music* Quintal, Haute-Savoie, a commune of the Haute-Savoie département in France* Stéphane Quintal, NHL ice hockey player... iron pieces |
|
| Perla | 16 | 350 | 140 | 6 guns | |
| Santa Rosa | 13 | 240 | Santa Rosa de Chacabuco or Chacabuco |
372 | 6 guns |
| Nancy | 21 | 200 | 0 | 80 horses and fodder | |
| Notes |
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On 8. September 1820 the liberating army disembarked 100 miles southeast of Lima
Lima
Lima is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers, in the central part of the country, on a desert coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Together with the seaport of Callao, it forms a contiguous urban area known as the Lima...
: 4118 soldiers, 4000 of the were Chileans.
On the night of 5. November Cochrane, personally, and 240 volunteers wearing white with blue armbands captured the Spanish frigate Esmeralda (1791)
Esmeralda (1791)
The Spanish Esmeralda was a 44 gun frigate built in Port Mahón, Balearic Islands in 1791. The First Chilean Navy Squadron under the command of Thomas Cochrane captured her in the night from 5 to 6 November 1820. She was renamed Valdivia in Chilean service...
within the port of Callao. She was renamed Valdivia and commissioned to the Chilean Navy.